20220814 UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS
14 August, 2022, Sunday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Jeremiah 38:4-6,8-10 © |
'Do not let the prophet die'
The king’s leading men spoke to the king. ‘Let Jeremiah be put to death: he is unquestionably disheartening the remaining soldiers in the city, and all the people too, by talking like this. The fellow does not have the welfare of this people at heart so much as its ruin.’ ‘He is in your hands as you know,’ King Zedekiah answered ‘for the king is powerless against you.’ So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the well of Prince Malchiah in the Court of the Guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the well, only mud, and into the mud Jeremiah sank.
Ebed-melech came out from the palace and spoke to the king. ‘My lord king,’ he said ‘these men have done a wicked thing by treating the prophet Jeremiah like this: they have thrown him into the well, where he will die.’ At this the king gave Ebed-melech the Cushite the following order: ‘Take three men with you from here and pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the well before he dies.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 39(40):2-4,18 |
Second reading | Hebrews 12:1-4 © |
We should keep running steadily in the race we have started
With so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us, we too, then, should throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily, and keep running steadily in the race we have started. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right of God’s throne. Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners and then you will not give up for want of courage. In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of death.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ac16:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn10:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 12:49-53 © |
How I wish it were blazing already!
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!
‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’
UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Jer 38:4-6,8-10; Ps 40:2-4,18; Heb 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53]
The world today is not much different from the world of yesterday. Society and nations are very much divided in every area of life, be it values, culture, language, economics, politics, or religion. This is a very fragmented world because we do not share the same vision of life and we all come from different experiences, including our encounters with God. The mission of the Church, which is communion, is therefore a very daunting mission. Reconciling humanity, and humanity with God, is very challenging.
At least most religions can live in peace with each other, so long as they do not promote violence or hatred towards people of other faiths. Through inter-religious dialogue, we can promote trust and appreciation through the dialogue of life, culture, and faith. We do not have the same experience of God, but we would have in some ways encountered the sacred in our lives. How we express this encounter can be quite different. Nevertheless, we all believe in the sacred, the ultimate of life which goes beyond mere matter to faith in the spiritual world, or even in the supreme existence which most religions call God.
Most of all, all religions teach us to do good. Whilst not all hold the same moral teachings in every area of human life, in principle, all religions seek to do good, promote peace and harmony, mutual respect, practice tolerance and underscore mercy, charity, compassion, and forgiveness. They seek to preserve family life, respect for the elders, the sacredness of life, care for the poor and the suffering, equality, and work for progress for the nation, happiness, and prosperity among all peoples.
Then how does division happen? This happens because of evil and falsehood in society. When the gospel is preached, the secular values of the world would be at odds against the gospel as enshrined in the Sermon on the Mount. The gospel is meant to purify humanity from all forms of selfishness, and self-centeredness by teaching people to be focused on the values of the Kingdom of God. It is an invitation to poverty, humility, compassion, service to truth, and justice. This is where the real source of division comes from, the self-centred and worldly values of society. This was what happened in today’s first reading. The political and religious leaders of Judah could not accept the truth that Jeremiah spoke. The kingdom of Judah was under attack from Babylon. Jeremiah’s advice to the king was that he should surrender and make peace with the Babylonians to save his kingship and the kingdom. But for the political and religious leaders, they could not accept the truth that the kingdom was too weak to defend herself. They accused Jeremiah of treason, of weakening the morale of the army by saying such unpleasant and discouraging words.
Of course, sometimes, it can come from intolerance of religions. This happens when we seek to impose our faith on others. Religion of course is something very sensitive and personal. At the same time, it impacts the community and the family because religion impacts how the family relates, functions, and celebrates because of shared values and faith as well. When one is not of the same faith, there is an awkward relationship. As a consequence, when one takes upon another faith, often there is persecution at home. This is why the Lord said, “Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Standing up for Jesus will cause them to suffer, be marginalized or even ostracized. Of course, it can also happen in Catholic families too, when one member of the family adopts a different religion. There is great sadness and often the inability to accept the conversion of a family member. Understandably, one would feel pained when a member of the family converts to another faith. We must be ready for sincere dialogue and mutual understanding.
But a more important question is not whether he or she is a member of our faith, but whether he or she believes in what he or she professes to believe. It is more than just a conversion to another religion, it is the search for the truth. We can be in the right religion and yet not find happiness and peace, because we are nominal followers, keeping a distance from our faith for fear that we might have to change and live radically. Jesus is asking for authenticity. If Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, then we must accept Him and follow Him in every way. There is no question of choice.
Those who have come to know the Lord therefore must follow Him, put Him above everyone else. It does not mean that he needs to cause division in the family or in his community. He must remain respectful, humble and tolerant of others’ beliefs. But it does mean that his reference point will always be the Lord and His teaching in the way he relates with his family members and with others. So it does not mean that he will love them less by loving the Lord more and putting Him above the family. Rather, because he loves the Lord more, he is called to sacrifice himself and be like Christ who gave Himself to the Church, by dying for her so as to sanctify her.
Indeed, Jesus has come to purify the world. Fire is a symbol of God’s presence and His holiness. Fire is pure and burns away all sins and defects. It is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Hence, Jesus said to His disciples, “I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!” The baptism the Lord is referring to is the purification of the world, restoring truth and justice. But announcing the truth will also mean being persecuted and rejected. It is inevitable that the followers of Christ will be rejected. If the world is comfortable with our values, it would be strange indeed.
In the second reading, Christians were under persecution and many grew weary. King Zedekiah was too weak to do the right thing. He believed in Jeremiah, but he was afraid to stand up for him. As he told his officials, “the king is powerless against you.” “So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the well of Prince Malchiah in the Court of the Guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the well, only mud, and into the mud Jeremiah sank.” He could not do anything and allowed the evil men to triumph.
But like the early Christians, we are asked to continue our fight against falsehood, sin and evil. The letter to the Hebrews urges us, “With so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us, we too, then, should throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily, and keep running steadily in the race we have started.” We have many Christians in the history of the Church who stood up for their faith and for the Lord even in the face of persecution and martyrdom. Indeed, when we feel like giving up for lack of courage, we must turn to the saints and martyrs and all the living examples around us on how we should remain firm in our faith and our values, even when we are at odds against the rest of the world.
Secondly, the author tells us to focus on our Lord. He is the exemplar of fortitude and perseverance. “Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right of God’s throne. Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners and then you will not give up for want of courage. In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of death.” Jesus endured the cross for the sake of us all, for the love of His Father and for us.
Thirdly, we must pray for the help of the Holy Spirit. Only the fire of the Holy Spirit can keep us motivated and passionate. Only the Holy Spirit can enlighten the hearts and minds of all. God will come to our help as He did eventually by sending an Ethiopian to save Jeremiah. God, too, saved our Lord by raising Him from the dead after His crucifixion. Indeed, with the faith of the psalmist, we pray with confidence, “I waited, I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me; he heard my cry. He drew me from the deadly pit, from the miry clay. He set my feet upon a rock and made my footsteps firm. Lord, come to my aid!”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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